The Ahn Trio: A modern take on piano, violin, cello

(Applause) (Music) (Applause) Angella Ahn: Thank you. (Applause) Thank you so much. We are so honored to be here at TEDWomen, sharing our music with you. What an exciting and inspiring event. What you just heard is “Skylife” by David Balakrishnan. We want to play you one more selection. It’s by Astor Piazzolla, an Argentine composer. And we talk about different ideas — he had this idea that he thought music should be from the heart. This was in the middle of the 20th century when music from the heart, beautiful music, wasn’t the most popular thing in the classical music world. It was more atonal and twelve-tone. And he insisted on beautiful music. So this is “Oblivion” by Astor Piazzolla. Thank you. (Music) (Applause)

100 thoughts to “The Ahn Trio: A modern take on piano, violin, cello”

If anyone needs to look at there Rolex watch at 12,500 ft under the sea it is to observe the last second of their life tick by as they are squashed to death. Ridiculous features, ridiculous price should be their slogan.

1. You can't take a two letter sample like that and stop. The data is meaningless. The population may be one to one, but that isn't a reason to think that the population with names beginning with A and B is 1 to 1.

2. Population parity only applies to issues of universal interest or risk. School attendance should have population parity. The workforce should have population parity. Places of special interest like TED, will not always show parity across demographics.

@anarrei 3. TED is about Technology Entertainment Design. It is also comprised largely of upper-middle-class to upper-class incomes, because part of the idea is to convince the people with money to adopt a position or invest in research. This segment of the population is heavily white and male. That needs correction to population parity in American society, but it does not show a bias in the selection of TED speakers.

@nachoijp It isn't true. Look through the video uploads of the last four years. There are myriad talks about gender equality, music, poetry, compassion. The people who put TEDwomen on have done a great disservice in convincing people like you there was a problem that never existed. They shit on the progress made and reversed it.

@t3tsuyaguy1 That may be true, I won't argue that this positive actions some times are over the top, but if it means more TED talks for us then it could be good… besides I like how in this TED women talks science is left aside a bit leaving room for other kind of ideas worth spreading 😉

@JacksOLantern
Except that "women's studies" is nothing but an academic certification of a victim complex.
You can study the female gender in Social Studies, Modern History, Anthropology, Psychology, Biology, the list goes on; and they are all legitimate degrees. Women are not an ethnic group, and being persecuted does not validate this. Any intelligent woman will scoff at "Women's Studies".

@anarrei I'm starting to think that your either trolling, or not paying attention. Nothing I said had anything to do with white men having a monopoly on good ideas, or TED being exclusive.

The point is that TED is NOT exclusive, nor was it before TEDwomen.

1. Your statistic of 77% was bullshit, because of the way you derived it.
2. Even it wasn't bullshit, it wouldn't necessarily point to gender bias.
3. TEDwomen did not create diversity. It just created sexist fights in the comments.

As a man, I would like to see more solid, interesting talks from women on TED. Maybe its publication bias but many people are pointing out an (illusory) correlation between male speakers and solid, interesting talks, and less so for female speakers. The top comment on this video with 176 likes is pretty vulgar. If we are going to have TEDwomen, shouldn't we have TEDmen full of tits and cars? If equality is so great, lets have a single standard please.

@qttytn TED started 'TEDWomen' I believe this year. The top comment is absolutely not vulgar, it makes use of a certain thing called 'sarcasm'. Your point that 'TEDWomen' isn't exactly helping equality, is precisely what Jaikkanen was saying.

@GBXS Obviously, the top comment is subject to change over time. At the time of writing, the vulgar comment was vulgar and had 176 likes and i thought it would stick for a fair while. Crossed wires maybe?

@theBlueTick "Why do some need to shout down the unique expression given voice here…?"

The problem is that it is NOT a unique expression!! Women have been at TED, in force, spreading great ideas all along. People like you prove the point that TEDwomen is awful. You slap all those women in the face, when you behave as if they weren't here before, shining in excellence. TEDwomen is like lowering standards to get more women fire fighters. It does not empower. It demeans.

@theBlueTick The most powerful talk, I ever watched on TED was from Amy Mullens. A women, double partial amputee. She shattered my assumptions and inspired me. She spoke at a normal TED conference to a room of human beings. Women talking to women alone is not superior to women talking to all of us.

@12oranges Your point would be great if the speakers at TEDwomen were consistently talking about ideas related to gender. Instead, many present issues that have nothing to do with it. This video for, for instance, has nothing to do with gender or woman's issues. It's just great music.

Also, the audience & speakers are not gender-balanced.

Some of us who hate TEDwomen just want these speakers to be presented at normal TED conferences, because the ideas are worth spreading to everyone.

This was the first ted "women" that I truly enjoyed. The performance was top notch. While I agree with the idea often posted on these that segregation like this has no place on TED, or anywhere else for that matter, I still stand that this was simply delightful. I will be watching this many more times I'm sure. Thanks to the ladies who trained so hard to bring this beauty to us.

@12oranges You accused everyone dissenting to this unnecessary conference of being misogynist haters. I tried to illuminate to you that many of us dissent, because we feel the conference is insulting to women. All of these talks should have taken place, just not separately.

Your response was to talk about a "perceived bias", which I had not outlined, calling it ridiculous. You seem quite fond of dismissive statements. If I respond in kind, will you respect it?

@12oranges I don't see how I'm patronizing. I still don't see how I, or anyone with my pov, can be called misogynist. I love women. I want to see true gender equality worldwide. I don't see TEDwomen fostering the spread of ideas, which will help that goal. I see it inciting fear in some men, and encouraging "role reversal" sexism in some women. I think there are better ways to promote & discuss issues of gender equality.

@12oranges I must concede that your argument in this last comment is interesting. I never thought of the TEDxinsertissuehere as satellite/parallel. If that is your pov, then I understand, why you would find calling TED-W unnecessary insulting.

It is possible our conversation could have been more civil. I was never intending to insult, only to debate. We may simply use words differently. "Illuminating" for instance isn't an inappropriate word. It just means to shed light on something.

@rankarandas Number 1: Just because the artist is established it does not mean his creations have to be liked by everybody, and number 2 I criticized the tone quality and made even suggestions how this would have been more enjoyable.

Interesting is, that as you are reading these letters you may feel a little frustrated or even angry which the longer you keep reading will grow and grow and grow the more often you reply.
The same time I sit in my music studio having a relaxing cup of tea. cheers!

Astor Piazzola sounds ancient. Most Modern music does not even use the notes of the scale, using quarter tones and microtones and slips and glissandos between notes. A lot of 21st century music is unlistenable even to the most hardened of 21st century musical ears. This music is very listenable therefore almost mainstream. Music has evolved much since even Stravinsky

@puttefnask – A skilled beat-maker surely would, but these lovely ladies that are "true musicians" (having gone through years of training & understanding & hours of practice on music theory) would not want their music stolen. After all their years of hard work they wouldn't want some "beat maker" to just come along and steal it within mere seconds & then go sell it without giving due justice & recognition to these original talented musicians. Their music is appreciated as is – gracefully

I don't think she meant it quite like that. I think she was referring to the stringent nature of 18th century 12 tone music, whereas Piazzolla wrote more or less with soul rather than focusing on a rigid structure. Granted I know very little of that time period in classical music, as I'm just beginning my music history and theory courses. Just food for thought if you will.

I am sure the audience enjoyed the light, fun pieces, but these little works are hardly significant in "breathing new life into the piano trio".The great trios of Brahms, Beethoven, Schumann and others are full of much more "life" and meaning than these light-weight pieces and, when played well, they offer experiences which far over- shadow them. There is nothing "old" about the emotions and depth of the great classical literature. The only problem seems to be the inability of present-day composers to find a medium or voice which can match up.

In playback, if anyone hears these talented musicians through a tube amplifier of choice and a couple Altec duplex 604 speakers…oh, my God…they are playing in the room with me…I can almost touch them. Their talent, which may but unappreciated, jumps out and comes to life. Don't sell these ladies short…presentation is huge and when coupled with talent…these musicians have it. Absolutely wonderful…and enjoyable.